A COLD WINTER NIGHT

Chapter 20 - Darkness

I enter the room, close the door behind me, now resting back against it as I gaze upon my former sister-in-law. Her wide, panicked eyes bore into mine and she jumps in her seat, making the wooden chair bounce as she tries to free her tied self. I watch her for a moment, enjoying the view of her vulnerability. She's trapped, scared, confused, but most of all, she's worried. She has no idea what is happening. She has no idea what is to come.

"Sarah," I speak. She mumbles loudly beneath the scarf tied around her mouth, but her words are inaudible. I don't know what she is saying and to be honest, I don't care. I move towards her, dropping down to kneel right before her. I unwrap, removing the scarf from around her so that she can talk.

"Clara! Oh, thank God you're here," she says in relief. "Your asshole dad stuck me with a needle when we got here and then I wake up, finding myself tied to this chair. What is going on?" she worriedly wonders. I stand, looking down at her scared bony face. She jumps in her seat, seeming confused as to why I have not yet untied her.

"Clara? What are you doing? Untie me. Please," she begs, but I feel it. This surfacing dark feeling within. I find myself breathing hard, panting through flared nostrils. I want to hurt her. I want to hurt her more than anything for what she's done to my Edvin and for the pain that she had put my brother through, but I can't. Not yet. I have to play it cool. I have to gather the information I need. I have to.

"I will untie you, but not yet Sarah," I tell her.

"What? Why not? Clara? Tell me what is going on?" she pleads.

"Have you heard from Danny?" I find myself asking as the first question. Her head tilts, just as her brows purse.

"Heard from him? Clara. Danny's dead," she speaks, and it is in this moment where that dark feeling from before comes forth, tempting me with a vision of slapping her across the face for saying such a thing, but I don't. I don't do it. My jaw is clenched, just as my eyes are filled with a fiery rage. I'm trying to keep it together. I'm trying, but I— I take a deep breath, attempting to relax myself.

"He's missing. We still don't know if him and Adam are dead," I correct.

"Ohh, Clara. You poor, poor thing. It's been over a year. They're dead, honey. I accepted that, and you should too," she says, and again. The vision is back, replaying on repeat within my mind. I quickly turn, walking away and then stop, having my back face her when I go on to speak. I remember the game plan. I remember my goal. Make Sarah believe that I need her. Make her believe that I am still her friend. Make her talk.

"I'm having so much trouble doing that, Sarah. It's just so hard," I play, attempting to fool her into believing that I am this sweet, broken, thing.

"Clara... Untie me and we can talk about them. Please untie me," she calmly begs. I turn, walking towards her and then drop to her feet, now resting my face against her thighs.

"I miss them so much," I fake cry.

"Ohhh, honey. I do too. There's not a day that goes by that I do not think of your brother. He was everything to me and I regret every day I chose not to be with him," she states. I look up, staring at her with a serious expression.

"But you cheated on him. He caught you and then you lied to everyone and said that it was he who cheated on you. You took everything from him after the divorce. You left him with nothing," I remind her.

"And I am so sorry that I did that. You don't know how much I regret what I did, Clara. I regret my actions so much," she cries, but I can see it. Her tears aren't real. They're forced.

"He loved you, Sarah. He could have had any woman in the world, but he chose you and then you betrayed him and now he's gone, maybe even dead. You broke his heart, and he may have died with it," I end.